Animal-assisted interventions eased depression in older adults

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis (16 RCTs, 4 quasi-experimental)

Population

Older adults in 20 studies

Primary outcome

Depression, anxiety, loneliness, cognition

Effect

Depression SMD −0.45 (−0.68 to −0.22); cognition SMD 0.72 (0.12–1.31)

This meta-analysis included 20 studies (16 randomised, four quasi-experimental) of animal-assisted interventions with live or robotic animals for older adults.

The interventions improved depressive symptoms (SMD −0.45, 95% CI −0.68 to −0.22) and cognitive function (SMD 0.72, 0.12–1.31), with larger effects for live animals and for programmes of 6 to 12 weeks. There was no significant effect on anxiety or loneliness. GRADE certainty was low for depression and low to very low for the other outcomes.

For care homes and day centres, structured animal-assisted sessions are a low-risk complement to standard depression care, not a replacement for it. Infection control and allergies need planning, and robotic animals may suit settings where live animals are impractical.

• Consider structured animal-assisted sessions as a complement to depression care in care homes.
• Live animals showed larger effects than robotic animals on depression.
• Loneliness and anxiety did not improve in the pooled data.
• Plan for infection control and allergies before introducing animals.

Why it matters

Depression in care homes is common and under-treated, and non-drug options are welcome.

Don't overread it

Low-certainty evidence, partly from non-randomised studies.

The statistics, in plain English

An SMD of −0.45 is a moderate effect. Low GRADE certainty means further trials could change the estimate substantially.

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